Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the July 2025 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In July, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 19 private sector and 15 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 2,179 and 4,684 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for about 120 workers employed by the Town of Taber.
Local 2038 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees represents these workers, which include a wide variety of positions, including those in facility maintenance, IT, public works, recreation, planning, utility, and treatment.
The previous collective agreement for these workers expired at the end of 2023. A majority of the workers ratified this new agreement last December, almost a year later; although Mediation Services only recently received the agreement.
And while waiting almost a year for a new contract might seem a lot, it was less than the 16 months it took during the previous round of bargaining. It expired 7.5 months later. At least with their new contract, workers can enjoy it for over 2 years before it expires at the end of next year.
According to the July 2025 Bargaining Update, the new agreement includes wage increases every year.
| 1st year | 2.5% |
| 2nd year | 3.2% |
| 3rd year | 3.9% |
Here are some highlights of other changes in the new collective agreement.
Workers now have a right to refuse to cross a legal picket line or to be a scab, guaranteed in their contract, and they will not be disciplined for either of these actions.
3.4 Respect for Picket Lines
An employee covered by this agreement shall have the right to refuse to cross a legal picket line or refuse to do the work of striking or locked out employees. Failure to cross such a picket line or to perform the work of striking or locked out employees where a legal strike or lockout is in effect by a member of this Union shall not be considered a violation of this agreement, nor shall it be grounds for disciplinary action, other than loss of wages for the period involved.
The new contract removes the limit of 6 regarding the number of stewards the Town of Taber must recognize. It also removed the union grievance committee from the same section (10.6).
Layoff notice period for part-time and full-time workers has increased from 10 working days to 20 working days.
The following items were removed from the section on hours:
- The maximum hours in any one shift shall not exceed 12 hours.
- The average hours of work over the shift cycle shall be a maximum of 40 hours per week.
Vacation time has also changed. Here is what it used to look like:
| Years of service | 1950 annual hours | 2080 annual hours |
|---|---|---|
| < 2 years | 75 hours | 80 hours |
| 2–8 years | 112.5 hours | 120 hours |
| 8–14 years | 150 hours | 160 hours |
| 14–23 years | 187.5 hours | 200 hours |
| 23+ years | 225 hours | 240 hours |
Here are the new vacation times:
| 1950 annual hours | 2080 annual hours | 2088 annual hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 5 years | 112.5 hours | 120 hours | 120.50 hours |
| 5–10 years | 150 hours | 160 hours | 160.75 hours |
| 10–15 years | 187.5 hours | 200 hours | 200.75 hours |
| 15–20 years | 225 hours | 240 hours | 241 hours |
| 20–25 years | 262.5 hours | 280 hours | 281 hours |
| 25+ years | 300 hours | 320 hours | 321.25 hours |
As well, workers must indicate by February when they want to take their vacations between March and August and by August for vacations between September and February. Previously, they had to have all vacation requests in by April.
The requirement that bereavement leave had to be taken within a 12-day period of a death was removed from the collective agreement.
Citizenship leave has been increased from half a day to a full day.
The new collective agreement explicitly states that if the employer requires a doctor’s note, the worker must pay any fees to obtain it. This requirement was previously missing in the agreement.
Workers previously had to tell supervisors if they were calling in sick, at least 1 hour before the start of their shift. Now it is “as soon as reasonably practical”.
Family sick leave has increased from 4 days to 6 days for workers who must attend to the medical needs of a spouse, child, or parent. It still comes out of their own sick leave though.
The Health and Wellness fund contribution from the employer has increased from $125 per year to $200 per year.
Shift premiums for the evening shift now apply to hours worked between 19:00 and 07:00 instead of between 17:00 and 08:00.
The boot subsidy maximum has increased from $300 a year to $400 a year.
